Concrete realities

Dawn, 24 October 2001. An Israeli army detachment was deploying in the village of Beit Rima, northwest of Ramallah. Omar, four, asked his mother: “How did America get here?” Tanks, infantry units and three helicopters had just blown up two Palestinian positions: the police station and national security post (border police). In an hour five Palestinians were killed, and nine people injured, one a civilian.

The Israelis maintain that their army simply responded to shooting. All the eyewitness accounts say at least three of the dead were shot when sleeping, and most of the others soon saw their Kalashnikovs were useless against the army firepower. The army denied the injured access to Palestinian medical teams and the local doctor. Several of the wounded bled for four to five hours until an Israeli military medical team arrived. It’s hard to know how many could have been saved had they been treated sooner.

The shooting went on until six. Then the village was put under curfew. By eleven in the morning the army had arrested 42 villagers and taken them, blindfold, with bags over their heads, tied head and foot, to a tent-prison on the land of the neighbouring settlement of Halamich. They were left that way for hours, sitting on the ground, their heads bent, until a Shin Bet officer came to interrogate them. After several hours they were allowed to relax, by leaning back to back. Thirty-one were released after midnight; 11 others were taken away but five later released. The army announced that it had made important arrests in connection with the murder of Israeli minister Rehavam Zeevi. But the two main suspects, both from the village, were not there at the time of the incident.

The army then destroyed the houses of the families of three wanted men: a Hamas member (suspected of involvement in a Jerusalem pizzeria attack) and two members of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. In a few seconds three dozen people were made homeless. The force of (...)